Spiral conveyer.



M. U. BERNHEIM. SPIRAL CONVEYER. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 13, 1912.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

"HE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTOJ-ITHO., WASHINGTON. D.

M. U. BERNHEIM. SPIBAL GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1912.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Monnrs U. nnnNHnIM, or CINCINNATI, oHIo, AssreNcla To man inver-FERGUSON COMPANY, or CINCINNATI, CHIC, A CORPORATION 0F oHIo;

sPInAL CoNvnYnn.

spcification of Letters Patent;

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS U. vBiNnvHEri/r,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spiral Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its mostV important purpose the provision `of a spiral conveyer or chute, of simple, durable, and practicable construction, wherein a series of spiral ways, two of which are coiled around the same portion of a central supporting member and another of which is coiled around a different portion of said central supportin member are so associated with each other that the last mentioned way may be operatively connected with either of the others, alternately, by the adjustment of a pivotally mounted section of the bed of the conveyer.

The invention primarily consists of a conveyer having an internal longitudinal member which supports a series of ways extending spirally around the same, said ways having adjacent ends or terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction intermediate the length of the conveyer, two of said ways (hereinafter designated first spiral and second spiral respectively) being disposedat one side of said junction, while another way (hereinafter termed third spiral is arranged at the other `side of said junction, there being at said junction an opening in the bed or way of the conveyer and a pivotally adjustable member of the bed or way, adapted to bridge said opening and to serve as a means by which the third spiral is directly connected with one of the other spirals, the adjustability of said bridging member enabling communication of the third spiral with the first spiral and second spiral, alternately, to be controlled.

The invention also consists in certain peculiarities in the construction and arrangement of parts, and in novel combinations of elements substantially as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims. j

in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views: Figure l is an yelevation of part of va conveyer of the incased type, embodying the present improvements, a .partgof the casing being broken away. Fig. 2 1s a view on a larger scale of the portion ofthe conveyer at the junction of .the threev ways, showing the .third way connected to one of the first ways in full line and connected to .the other of the first two ways in dotted lines, the casing being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a specifically different embodiment yof the invention, showing the adjustable section .of the bed or wayin `the position in which'it connects the third way with the first way. Fig. 5 is a like view, but shows the adjustable section of the bed in the position it .occupies when the third spiral is connected to the second spiral.

, Fig. 6 is a detail view `showing a suitable means for adjusting said adjustable section of the bed or way. Fig. 7 is a view showing the junction of the three ways, embodying a structure wherein the central supporting member is divided transversely and has its two portions odset from `each other, with `the adjustable section of the bed modiiied to adapt it for use with such la member.

In Figs. 16, inclusive, of the drawings, A designates the internal supporting member, B designates the first spiral, C designates the second spiral and D designates the third spiral. Each of these spirals extends around and is suitably connected to said supporting member A. The first spiral B and the second spiral C are disposed about a portion of the supporting member A which may be considered to be a common por-tion of the latter, being at one side of what is herein referred to as a junction, while the third spiral D is arranged at the other side of said junction, ,the three spiralsl having their ends relatively arranged to provide at the junction thereof a space which separates the end of the third spiral from the end or ends of either orboth of the other spirals, and the portion of the bed or wav which is arranged at the junction thereof comprises an adjustable ,section which is adapted to 'bridge said space and is .such that by its mere adjustment the third spiral is thrown into direct communication with either the first spiral for the second spiral, at will. The spirals, in the exemplified forms of the invention,are each of the'type composed of smooth blades.

Referring now particularly to the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 it will be noted that the first and second spirals B and C terminate approximately on the same level, this being preferred: and thatv the bridgingv member, marked E, is shown as being provided at top and bottom respectively with` flanged collars e and e to or between whose flanges, marked 11, the inner edge 12 of the bridging member is suitably secured, as by rivets 18. The collars are rotatably mounted on the post A and saitable stops are provided, to define the limits of `the pivotal movement of the bridging member about said post to those in which its lower edge is alined with the upper edges of the spirals B and C, respectively. This bridging member is preferably supported vby a collar 14 fixed to the post and engaging the lower collar, e', and the means referred to for limiting the movement of the bridging member is preferably composed of projections 15 which are spaced apart on the collar ltand are arranged in the path of movement of the flange or flanges 11 of the l lower collar e.

The bridging member E is curved and pitched, forming a spiral section of the bed or way, and is such that it may be adjustable to bridge the space between the spiral D and either spiral B or spiral C, serving when in one of its positions to connect the spiral D with the spiral B, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and when in the other -of its positions to connect spiral D with spiral C, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and forming an operative part of the bed or way of the conveyer in both of its said positions.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, it will be noted that the bridging means is constituted of two parts, to wit, a pivotall member E10 and a fixed member E11. The member E11 in effect'constitutes a fixed part of the spirals C and D, being aicontinuation of the upper end of the spiral C by which the latter is connected to the edge of the spiral D, it being assumed, `for purpose of explanation, that the upper terminal of the spiral C terminates at the line marked c. This adjustable section E10 of the `junction is hingedly connected, as shown at @10, 610, to the post A and is adapted, as stated, to bridge the space between the spiral D and the spiral B when in its operative position. In its last named position it overlies the section E11, so that the paekages are compelled to pass over it between said spirals D and B and are not permitted to pass from the spiral D to the spiral C.

. The upper edge of the section E is preferably sufiiciently depressed below of the spiral D to allow the adjustable bridging member E10 to lie flush with the lower edge of the spiral D so as to avoid any obstruction at this place to the free passage of the packages from the spiral D to said spiral B, but, preferably, is sufficiently close to the lower edge of the spiral D to afford support for the upper edge of the adjustable bridging member when'the latter is in operative position and at the same time avoid any substantial jarring of the package or the conveyer when said adjustable member is out of operative position. The desired proximity of the upper edge of the member E21 to the end of the spiral D and to the upper edge of the adjustable member E10, when the latter is in operative position is provided preferably by so arranging the spiral D that its end will overlap the end of said member E, as shown.

The construction shown in Fig. 7 is particularly devised for use when for any reason it is not practicable to use a continuous post extending through the fioor. The post in this event is divided, its two sections be ing marked A20 and A21 respectively. The section A20 carries the two spirals B2" and C20, and the section A21 carries the spiral D20, the spiral D20 in this particular ease being separated from the spirals B20 and C20 by a space which is bridged by an adjustable member, E20, one of whose edges is hingedly secured at 2O in proximity to the end of the spiral D20, its other end being free to swing from the spiral B20 to the spiral C20, as shown by the full and dotted lines respectively in said Fig. 7.

The conveyer preferably includes an outer casing of suitable kind,` having feed and discharge openings at the various floors, said casing serving to inclose the spirals and the central supporting member, being spaced from the latter sufiiciently to receive the spirals and having its inner wall adjacent to the edges of the spirals. The casing, shown in Figs. 1 6, inclusive, is marked F and its openings, marked F', are provided with suitable doors, as usual. The casing in Fig. 7 is marked F20 and has an offset part, as shown, to adapt it to the offset arrangement of the spirals and post shown in said figure.

A conveyer embodying the present improvements will be found to be useful in many cases and may serve any number of floors. For example, its ways B and C may be employed respectively to carry packages intended to be discharged at different places, or for packages of different characters, re-

the plane the upper edge of ceiving said packages from the way D, com mon to all such packages. To illustrate, let us assume that rthe conveyer serves thirteen floorsthrough ywhich it extends and that the blades or ways B and C are respectively intended for charge packages and paid packages and extend from the seventh floor downward, the blade D extending from the seventh loor upward into the thirteenthoor. Attendants place vboth charge-packages and paid packages on thel blade D, above the seventh ioor, and these `packages are thence conducted by said blade to the seventh floor at which the junction of said blade D with the blades B and C is located, and by proper manipulation of the Ibridging member of the` way, at said junction, is delivered to thel appropriate blade B or C. It isI desirable for such, and for many other` uses of the conveyer, to provide vmeans whereby the adjustable bridging member may be adjusted from any of the floors which are served by the blade D. Any suitable adjusting means may be employed. The one illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises teeth 50 `on the collar e, said teeth intermesliing with an appropriate gear 51 carried by a shaft 52 having a sprocket or gear 53 which is engaged by racks 54.- and 55 connected with an endlesscable whose runs or strands are designated 56 and 57, respectively. This cable extends over a suitable pulley 58 above and under al suitable pulley 59, below. The cable may be operated from any of the floors served by the blade D and its strands 56 and 57, preferably have on each licor buttons marked 60 and 61 respectively, or other suitable means, for convenience in operatlng them.v Obviously, the'position ofthe buttons will indicate the position .ofthe adjustable member of the bed. By pulling upward one of the strands or runs of the cable, the adjustable member of the bed will be moved from the position in which it connects the blade D with one of the blades B or C to the position in which it connects said blade D with the other of said blades B or C, and by pulling the other strand or run of the cable upward the blade D will be restored to its former position, the Vrela- `tive positions of the buttons disclosing which of the blades B or C is in operative relation with the adjustable member of the bed. The strand or run 57 is broken in Fig. 1 to disclose the strand or run 56. A suitabley means, indicated at 62, for maintaining tension on the cable, or for taking up slack thereof, will preferably be employed yin practice, but as such means are commonly used with cables, chains or thev like, itis considered to be unnecessary to describe the same in detail herein.

The form shown in Figs. 4f, 5 and `6 will preferably have as its vadjusting means a lrunning over pulleys above and below, and

preferably provided with buttons or the like, such as have been described with reference 4to the first form of the invention. j

In the form shown in Fig. 7,.the blade E20 has a lateral projection which traverses a slot 201 in the vcasing and is engaged by` a suitable raising and lowering'means, as the endless cable,` or the like 202, shown in said figure, said cable in practice also having buttons, such as have already been described.

It will be noted that the correlation of the spirals and adjustable bridging means herein described is such that packages are delivered from Athe spiral D to the spiral B or spiral C, atwill, by the mere .adjustment of ,said bridging means and'y it will be noted further that the correlation ofthe parts is such` that `the delivery of the packages ybetween the spiral B or the spiral C and the spiral D is .a direct one, the adjustable switching member in none of the herein exemplified forms of the invention `serving to carry the packages to discharge openings inthe casing or away from .the conveyer, or to other conveying mechanisms. Again, it will `be noted that while the conveyer has been described with reference to the use of the spiral D as a means for feeding packages to the spirals B and C, it will not be a `departure from the spirit of the invention to reverse this relative arrangement of the spirals, that is to say, to so correlate the parts that packages will be fed by the spirals Band C to the spiral D. It will further be noted that while the conveyer has been exemplified as extending through the floors of a building, it may be arranged outside of the building. These and other changes in the exemplified construction and arrangements of parts are contemplated yto be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A spiral conveyer comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof and a series of ways extending spirally about the internal supporting member, said spiral ways having their adjacent terminals relatively disposed to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of the other spiral ways, the third spiral way being arranged at one side of said junction place and terminating thereat and the other spiral -ways being arranged at the other side of said junction place and terminating thereat, and means arranged in said junction place and forming a part of the bed of the conveyer for controlling communication of the third spiral way with the other two spiral ways alternately, saidmeans comprising an adjustable section, the said adjustable section having pivotal connection with the internal supporting member and being adapted to bridge the spacev between the third spiral way and one of the other two spiral ways and to connect the third spiral way with the latter.

2. A spiral conveyer comprising an outer casing, an internal member extending longitudinally thereof, and a series of ways extending spirally around said internal member and arranged between the same and said outercasing, the casing having means for giving access to said ways, said spiral ways having their adjacent terminals relatively disposed to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of the other spiral ways, the

third spiral way being arranged at one side of said junction place `and terminating thereat and the other yspiral ways being arranged at the other side of said junction place and terminating thereat, and means arranged in said junction place and forming a part of the bed of the conveyer for controlling communication of the third spiral way with the other two spiral ways alternately, said means comprising an adjustable section, thesaid adjustable section having pivotal connection with the internal supporting member and being adapted to-bridge the space between the third spiral way and one of the. other two spiral ways and to` connecty the third spiral way with the latter.

3. A spiral conveyer comprising an internal` supporting member extending longitudinally thereof and a series of ways extending spirally about the internal supporting member, said spiral ways having their adjacent terminals relatively disposed to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of the other spiral ways, the third spiral way being arranged atA one side of said junction place and terminating thereat and the other spiral ways being arranged at the other side ofk said junction place and terminating thereat, and means arranged in said junction place and forming a part of the bed of the conveyer for controlling communication of the third spiral way with the other two spiral ways alternately, said means comprising an adjustable section, the said adjustable section having pivotal connection with the internal supporting member and being adapted to bridge the space between the third spiral way and one of the other two spiral ways and to connect the third spiral way with the latter, and means operable from difl'erent places in the length of the conveyer for adjusting said adjustable section.

4l. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longi` tudinally thereof and a series of ways extending spirally around the internal supporting member, said spiral ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of the other spiral ways, the last mentioned ways being at one side of the junction place and said third way being at the other side of said junction place, and said junction place being provided with members respectively connecting the third way with said other ways, one of said members having pivotal connection with the internal supporting member.

5. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, an outer casing spaced from said supporting member and a series of ways extending spirally around the internal supporting member and arranged between the same and said casing, said spiral ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged tov provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of the other spiral ways, the last mentioned ways being at one side of the junction place and said third way being at the other side of said junction place, and said junction place being provided with members respectively connecting the third way with said other ways, one of said members having pivotal connection with the internal supporting member.

6. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, and a first way, a second -way and a third way, each extending spirally around said member, said ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction place separating the ends of said first and second ways, a member permanently bridging the space between the second and third ways, and an adjustable member for bridging the space between the first and third ways, said adjustable member having its inner longitudinal edge hingedly connected to the supporting member and when in operative position being arranged over said permanent bridging member and preventing the travel of packages to the latter from said third spiral and when out of operative position uncovering the permanent bridging member and being out of the way of packages on the latter.

7. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, and a irst way, a second way and a third way, each extending spirally around said member, said ways hav ing their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of said first and second ways, a

member permanently bridging the space be-y tween the second and third ways, and an adjustable member for bridging the space between the first and third ways, said adjustable member having its inner longitudinal edge hingedly connected to the support ing member and when in operative position being arranged over said permanent bridging member at the junction of said members with said third spiral, the permanent bridging member having its edge underlapping the edge ofy said third spiral and forming a support for the end of the adjustable member adjacent to the junction of the third spiral and bridging member.

8. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, an outer casing spaced from said supporting member, a first way, a second way and a third way each arranged in said casing and extending spirally around said member, said ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of said first and second ways, a member permanently bridging the space between the second and third ways, anadjustable member `for bridging the space between the first and third ways, said member having its inner longitudinal edge hingedly connected to the supporting member and when in operative position being arranged over said permanent bridging member, said adjustable member having a lateral projection and the casing having a slot traversed by said projection1 and means arranged outside the casing and operatively connected to said projection for adjusting said adjustable member, said means extending longitudinally of the conveyer and being adapted to be operated from various places in the length of the conveyer.

9. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, an outer casing spaced from said supporting member, a first way, a second way and a third way each arranged in said casing and extending spirally around said member, said ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of said first and second ways, a member permanently bridging the space between the second and their ways, an adjustable member for bridging the space between the first and third ways, said member having its inner longitudinal edge hingedly connected to the supporting member and when in operative position being arranged over said permanent bridging member, means arranged outside the casing and operatively connected to the adjustable bridging member for adjusting the latter, said mea-ns extending longitudinally of the conveyer and being adapted to be operated from various places in the length of the conveyer, and means operatively associated with said adjusting means and adapted to indicate the position of said adjustable bridging member.

10. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, an outer casing spaced :from said supporting member, a rst way, a second way and a third way each arranged in said casing and extending spirally around said member, said ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to pro vide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of said first and second ways, a member permanently bridging the space between the second and third ways, an adjustable member for bridging the space between the first and third ways, said member having its inner longitudinal edge hingedly connected to the supporting member and when in operative position being arranged over said permanent bridging member, an endless means arranged outside the casing and extending longitudinally ofthe conveyer, connections between said endless means and the adjustable bridging member for operating the latter from the former, and buttons mounted at different heights on both runs of the endless means.

11. A spiral conveyer, comprising an internal supporting member extending longitudinally thereof, an outer casing spaced from said supporting member, a first way, a second way and a third way each arranged in said casing and extending spirally around said member, said ways having their adjacent terminals relatively arranged to provide a junction place separating the end of the third spiral way from the ends of said first and second ways, a member permanently bridging the space between the second and third ways, an adjustable member for bridging the space between the first and third ways, said member having its inner longitudinal edge hingedly connected to the supporting member and when in operative position being arranged over said permanent bridging member, said adjustable member having a lateral projection and the casing having a slot traversed by said projection`v an endless means arranged outside the casing` and extending longitudinally of the conveyer, wheels arranged above and below the adjustable bridging member and engaged by In testimon7 whereof I have hereunto set said endless means, an angle lever fulcrumed my hand in presence of two subscribing witto the casing and having one of its members nesses.

connected to said projection and its other MORRIS U. BERNHEIM. 5 member connected t0 the endless means, and Vitnesses:

buttons mounted at different heights on both E. A. GARTTMAN,

runs of the endless means. A. J. BEER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

